Crime

Question 1

What is labelling theory

Answer 1

The interaction between social control agencies and suspects of crime. Shows how some acts are labelled as deviant and some arnt

Question 2

What are morale entrepreneurs

Answer 2

People who strive to change the law through things such as protests, being labelled as ‘deviant’ in the process

Question 3

What are 2 effects of morale entrepreneurs actions

Answer 3

Labelled as deviant, agencies using more force and power towards certain people

Question 4

Which groups of people are likely to be lablled

Answer 4

People who live in high crime areas and ethnic minorities

Question 5

How are crime statistics socially constructed

Answer 5

They are not a true representation of crime as they don’t tell us what someone done to be labelled as a criminal. Definitions of deviance vary

Question 6

What is the dark figure of crime

Answer 6

the actual amount of crime compared to official statistics, reported and unreported crimes

Question 7

What are the limitations of victim surveys

Answer 7

They are not always accurate as some people forget the details of situations

Question 8

What is primary deviance

Answer 8

Deviance not labelled by a societal reaction

Question 9

Outline Lemert’s theory of secondary deviance and how it leads to master status and a deviant career

Answer 9

Being labelled as a result of societies reaction can lead to identity crisis for the criminal. This creates a master status whereby the label of the criminal becomes their main identity, leading them to being shamed and outcasted

Question 10

What is the deviance amplification spiral

Answer 10

Media reports of deviant behaviour results in harsher punishments. In turn the media paints the situation as out of control leading to morale panic

Question 11

What is the difference between disintegrative shaming and reintegrative shaming

Answer 11

Disintegrative shaming is when the individual who had committed an offence is labelled in society. Reintegrative shaming has a when the act is labelled as bad rather than the person who did it

Question 12

How are statistics socially constructed according to interactionists

Answer 12

They are simply labels based on the interactions between social control agencies and the suspect

Question 13

How do Durkheim and Atkinson differ in attitudes towards their study of suicide

Answer 13

Durkheim accepts statistics at face value arguing they are an accurate representation. Atkinson uses statistics for further research as why deaths are labelled as suicide

Question 14

What are the 3 weakness of labelling theory

Answer 14

Assumes that once someone is labelled as deviant they will take this as their master status, assumes everyone is a victim, suggest without labelling deviance wouldn’t exist

Question 15

What is criminogenic capitalism

Answer 15

the idea that capitalism naturally produces crime because of its characteristics, such as being based on the exploitation

Question 16

How does law making and law enforcement serve the interests of the ruling class according to Marxists

Answer 16

Law enforcement targets working class leading to ruling class avoiding prosecution

Question 17

What is selective enforcement of law

Answer 17

social control agencies enforcing law on people based on class, gender and ethnicity

Question 18

How does the law perform an ideological function for capitalism?

Answer 18

appearing to care for workers for legislation reasons when they are actually exploiting them

Question 19

name 3 criticisms of marxism on crime

Answer 19

Only focuses on class inequalities, law doesn’t always work in favour of ruling class, not all capitalist countries have high levels of crime

Question 20

How do neo marxists criticise marxists theories on crime

Answer 20

argues marxists believe that all working class members of society are passive and have no control over their actions

Question 21

What is neo marxists voluntaristic view of crime

Answer 21

Everyone has choice in if they commit crime or not

Question 22

How can the Neo Marxist view be accused of being too idealistic to be useful in tackling crime

Answer 22

they see working class criminals as redistributing wealth when many crimes are targeted at the poor

Question 23

What is the aim of the fully social theory of deviance

Answer 23

combining labelling and marxist theories to change society’s views on crime in order to understand it

Question 24

name 3 criticism of the neo marxist view on crime

Answer 24

gender blind, ignores working class on working class crimes, does not talk about the effect of crime for victim

Question 25

What is white collar crime

Answer 25

crime committed by those involved in a business

Question 26

give 3 examples of corporate crime

Answer 26

tax evasion, fraud, embezzlement

Question 27

Give 3 reasons why corporate crime is invisible

Answer 27

hard to detect, committed by people with power who can avoid prosecution, difficulties proving suspect guilty

Question 28

how does the middle class avoid being labelled as criminals

Answer 28

using their power to hire good lawyers

Question 29

name 2 ways capitalism causes corporate crime

Answer 29

Strain theory causes greater desire to gain more wealth, higher classes are less affected by laws

Question 30

How does capitalism cause corporate crime

Answer 30

Strain theory causes a constant desire for more money. Those in higher power are less likely to be prosecuted

Question 31

Name 2 criticisms of corporate crime theory

Answer 31

Assumes that corporate crime is purely for money gains, assumes all businesses commit corporate crime